Author Notes: This flavorful dish was inspired by two of my favorite Moroccan ingredients- olives and preserved lemons. They work beautifully together in this dish to add a ton of flavor to the sauce. In addition, braising the chicken makes the meat wonderfully tender and juicy. Serve this dish over a bed of couscous to soak up all of the delicious sauce. - Sonali aka the Foodie Physician

Food52 Review: This is a pitch-perfect take on a classic dish. Sonali assembles a mouth-tingling spice mixture of ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, saffron and then adds green olives and preserved lemons to the party. The chicken is browned in oil (it's worth taking your time with this step, as you don't want it to burn) and then coated in the spice base before simmering gently in chicken stock until tender. Adding the lemons and olives towards the end helps retain their integrity and perfume. You may want to discard some of the fat after browning the chicken (this will depend on the meat you buy) -- we kept about 2 tablespoons. And couscous is a must. We used our favorite Israeli couscous (which Amanda blogged about a while back) and it was such a perfect foil for the rich, spicy sauce that we couldn't resist forking up every last grain. - A&M - The Editors

Serves 4

4tablespoons canola oil

2.5pounds chicken legs and thighs

Kosher salt

Black pepper

1 1/2 cups small diced onion

1teaspoon minced ginger

1teaspoon minced garlic

1tablespoon ground coriander

1tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/2teaspoon turmeric

1/2teaspoon cayenne pepper

2-3cups chicken stock

1/4teaspoon saffron

1/2cup green olives, rinsed

2 preserved lemons, pulp removed; rind cut into strips

2tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet or over medium high heat. Dry the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Place them in the skillet in batches and brown on all sides. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook until slightly softened. Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper and stir together. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat with the spice mixture. Pour the chicken stock into the skillet so that 2/3 of the chicken is submerged. Add the saffron and stir to combine. Bring liquid to a simmer, cover the skillet and simmer on medium low heat 20-25 minutes. Add the olives and preserved lemons. Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and turn the heat to high. Cook for another 6-8 minutes until sauce reduces slightly. Stir in the cilantro. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve chicken on a bed of couscous. Spoon sauce over the top. Garnish with cilantro.

This was tasty but the chicken was a bit tough. Will definitely try again, though, and maybe just cook on a lower flame during the braising phase. I loved the way the lemon and olives tasted so would definitely increase the amount of each (1 cup olives and 3 lemons).

Saw this recipe mentioned in Food & Wine and had to try it. It's outstanding - especially perfect in winter when you want something spicy and warming, yet not too heavy. And despite all of the ingredients, it comes together quickly enough for a weeknight dinner. I served it with quinoa toasted with a little olive oil. So happy I now have a big jar of preserved lemons, because this one is going into heavy rotation!

I made this over the weekend and thought it was delicious. Due to time constraints on my end, I actually prepared it Saturday and then refrigerated it (the chicken, sauce, everything in one pot) until Sunday night. I then reheated it over a low flame, and it was perfect! The other thing I wanted to mention is that I halved the cayenne pepper because I'm a bit of a wimp, and I still felt the heat. Just something for others to consider . . . . Thanks for a great recipe!

So good! I didn't have a few things (turmeric, cumin, saffron), so I substituted Sazon mix (I always have some) instead. And no preserved lemons, so I just threw some lemon slices in the pan instead. I reduced this recipe by more than one half using boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Served with brown rice made with coconut and chicken stock. This recipe is SUCH a keeper. I'm very happy. Thank you!

Really excellent! I served it with black rice and I thought the sweetness of the rice complemented the sauce very well. Everyone thought it was delicious. There were several of us who did not care for green olives and we thought the olives were great. One thing I would say: if you are using "quick" preserved lemons, rinse them *very* well and use less salt on the chicken. The dish was a little salty between the lemons I used, the olives, and the chickens (I tended towards the semi-generous side for seasoning my chicken).

If it is bitter, you may have had the heat too high and something burned on the bottom. However, you can add more broth, and try adding some honey or agave syrup to tone it down a bit. The prunes or dry apricots would need to be added at the beginning of the cooking process in order to benefit the sauce.

I just made this and reduced the sauce. While it is pretty -- my sauce is too spicy and bitter. Can you suggest what I can do? I am slightly desperate. I could pull out the chicken and add more broth and something to sweeten the sauce? Honey? Agave? Prunes?

Hi Sonali, I finally made this after months of drooling over the pictures and procrastinating. I'm so mad that I waited this long, because it was truly divine! Would you believe it, my 17-month old ate it all up, chicken, sauce, olives and all and pronounced it 'nummy' (yummy). Thanks for a brilliant recipe!

This recipe was a big hit! I used one and a half homemade preserved lemons, since mine were quite big, and omitted the saffron. I also added a handful of dried currants during the reduction of the sauce; I found that I needed a little sweetness to balance the saltiness and sourness of the lemons. I served it with vegetariannirvana's Citrus Olive Couscous (http://food52.com/recipes...).

I just made this tonight for a get together with friends, and despite some alterations, this was still delicious. Preserved lemons were substituted with regular + zest, and we didn't have any couscous, rice, etc. due to grain-free dietary restrictions. However, I saved the leftover sauce to mix in with Israeli couscous tomorrow because it was just that good! Cannot wait.

This is a slow cooking dish in a tagine, it would take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The prep time would be about 30 minutes. You cook at a very low temperature with a tagine. A very slow simmer using a heat diffuser. You could accomplish the same dish using a braising pot.

This is a wonderful Moroccan dish well suited for a tagine. I have made this dish and variations of it with lamb or beef many times using a tagine. It can be made in just about anything you can braise in with great success as many here have indicated. Maybe, not everyone would enjoy Moroccan food, but for those that do this is a great dish to make.

Made this last night. It was wonderful!! Couldn't get my hands on preserved lemons, so we subbed in lemon zest and juice. Seriously delicious dinner. May throw in some golden raisins next time. Thanks for this recipe!

This was fantastic! The only place I deviated from the recipe was cook time (guests were late so I let it braise on the stovetop for a good long while before reducing the sauce). The chicken was succulent and flavorful, and the sauce was wonderful. Right before serving, I popped the entire dish under the broiler to re-crisp the skin. DUHlicious. I used a mix of green olive varieties, but my favorite were the Castelvetranos in this. Word of warning: The cayenne was too much for my husband (who had the misfortune of growing up in the Blandest House Ever and ate like a 5-year old until I met him). It's not a fiery burn, just a nice buzz on the back end. If you've got anyone who is particularly intolerant to heat, lighten up on the cayenne.

No offense taken here, Knokachoo! I've been to culinary school, and I'm actually one of the ones that did get this (the herb picking, washing, etc) as my first job. But obviously not everyone in my class got this job; we didn't need THAT much herbs :-) LOL. I really, really hated it. Luckily, halfway through our culinary program we all got new assignments. My Chef told me I might have to keep the job if noone else wanted it. I told her, with all due respect of course, that I would pay cold hard cash to someone, anyone, to do it. Luckily it didn't get that far, but she got the point. There were no regulations that would have prevented me from doing it, and clearly I was done. Next, I got the lucky job of making sure all the flour, sugar, salts, and a long list of things was always filled in the kitchen and was ordered on time. I liked that a LOT better :-). Never be afraid of commenting here - we all have opinions, but it's a big, supportive group on the whole, and it's a great opportunity to connect to some of us here.

I've never been to an official "Culinary School" but every time I am picking, washing, drying and chopping fresh herbs I think..."This must be the first job they give a student"...If they stick it out they must be serious!

I haven't been this excited by a recipe for a while and to my great pleasure, my anticipation was well-rewarded. I made this dish last night and have a sneaking suspicion that it'll make a reappearance later this week (and many many times more). I have two large jars of yujacha, a Korean citrus marmalade, that I spooned roughly 6 tablespoons of in place of the preserved lemon; I also used stuffed green olives. I imagine the flavor profile was a bit different from the original, but it was eyeball-rollingly tasty nonetheless. Thank you so much for sharing!

I would not recommend it, slow cookers have this magical ability to bland and mush everything up. If you don't want to cook it on the stove top, you can put it in the oven with barely enough liquid to cover the bottom of your oven pan (a cast iron is my ultimate favorite), and please don't follow the recipe for the liquid quantities, nobody IN morocco would ever put 2-3 cups of stock in a braised chicken recipe!!. Cover it (just a wet wax sheet will do), and then let it cook on low for about 40 to 50min. Put the olives in 10 minutes before it's done and serve with wedges of preserved lemon on top.

This is my absolute favorite thing to make. I made a small modification (using citrus marmalade instead of preserved lemon). This is my go-to meal for guests...although I need to start keeping a list of who I've made it for to make sure I don't serve it to the same people twice! My version here: http://www.thingsimadetoday...

I just made this and it was AMAZING! I didn't have olives or preserved lemons on hand so I left them out. I can only imagine what they add to the dish. I served it on top of couscous with Meyer lemon zest, peas and pine nuts with lemon broccoli on the side (steamed broccoli with a little squeeze of Meyer lemon). I think I enjoyed the sauce more than the chicken!!

this is one of my food52 favorites! only two changes i make: about 4x as many olives (my husband wishes i would add 8x as many!) and i don't discard the preserved lemon pulp, but just toss it in. really a stand out recipe!

Thanks Cindy, so glad to hear that you like it! I suppose you could add a thickening agent at the end to thicken up the sauce but I prefer to just let it reduce. I like lots of sauce to soak up the couscous!

Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Instead of adding the spices in step 2, I rubbed them into the chicken about an hour before I started cooking the dish. I served it with couscous and broccoli with lemon and toasted almonds. Looking forward to leftovers!

There is no doubt, this is a wonderful moroccan dish, I'm just surprised when you say it's "inspired by two moroccan ingredients" and the it's a "take on a classic dish" when it's exactly the traditional moroccan recipe of chicken with preserved lemon and olives, known for centuries. The only thing that is not authentic is the couscous, we never serve it with that dish but who says it can't be good either.

To be even more authentic, you can omit the cayenne pepper and use less chicken stock, and of course olive oil instead of vegetable oil.

Well actually you misquoted me twice. I didn't say that my recipe was inspired by two Moroccan ingredients, I said that it's "inspired by two of my favorite Moroccan ingredients." I also did not write the line about it being a take on a classic dish, rather the editors wrote that in their notes. Even classic dishes have several versions and I was merely trying to say that this dish is my interpretation of a classic dish with some changes I made to suit my taste. As you pointed out in your comment, there are several changes you would have made to the recipe to make it more "authentic." Thanks for your comment and I hope you like the dish if you give it a try!

I'm eating this as leftovers as I write this. I thought it was good last night... but today I think it is amazing! I didn't have preserved lemons so I substituted for zest of one lemon, and I think that worked just fine. Thanks so much for the recipe!

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

My cumin was fresher than the other spices, so it overwhelmed the dish and made it taste more subcontinental than Saharan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I made a last-minute correction by adding a couple of tablespoons of orange marmalade. It worked a treat, and I'm childishly proud of myself for being able to predict the ingredient that would be able to shift continents, if not mountains.

The recipe will go in the regular rotation, with a note saying "Use stale cumin." Maybe I'll go buy some stale cumin just to keep on hand for this recipe -- should be easy enough to find in the stores.

Your recipe is just divine. I loved how it was coming along....but I got a bit distracted just before serving...only to let that beautiful sauce reduce almost completely away...scorching the pan. Still the meal was salvageable even after that! What depth of flavors the preserved lemons and saffron bring to this dish. I will make it again, hopefully without my errors next time.

I made this for dinner last night, and it was DIVINE!!! I couldn't find preserved lemons in Bloomington, IN, so we added the zest of one fresh lemon plus 1/3 of the juice instead. I also added about half a can of artichoke hearts (non-marinated). Served over brown basmati rice, it was super yummy!!

delicious! made this last night and am planning to make it again tonight! served with israeli couscous, which was wonderful. my only modifications: twice as many olives and a slight reduction of the the preserved lemons (flavor would have been to overpowering with the ones I had).

i just cant get over how delicious it is. i can just leave it on the stove for an hour while i do other things and it only gets better. i like to add a handful of dried cranberries or raisins just for a hint of sweetness. its a beautifully simple recipe though.

This makes such a beautiful meal. I made this for my boyfriend shortly after we started dating and the look on his face after his first bite was proof enough that this recipe is a winner. He raved. It's still one of his favorite dishes that I make. Thank you!

This recipe is the rare chicken recipe that can be done in advance. I cooked it the day before my seder and let the chicken sit in the sauce. Reheated gently the next day it was succulent and flavorful, breasts and legs included. Reducing the sauce, or thickening it is really important . thanks for a great recipe

I too love Mark Bittman's quick preserved lemons!! The next time you roast a chicken, stuff the preserved lemons under the breast skin with a little butter. It flavors the breast and you end up with lemon jam to eat along with the roast.

Sonali--I chickened out on using my new tagine, even though I seasoned it...because I was serving dinner to friends and didn't want a mid-recipe disaster! I used a dutch oven and it turned out great. What do you suggest re: leaving on or taking off the skin? The chicken browns well, but the skin got soggy with the braising. Maybe remove the skin before the braise? The spices were so warm and they melded together very well! It's a great recipe that I'd like to play with.

I just made this dish the other day and I used a Dutch oven too. I like to remove the skin just before serving. I think it's probably a good idea to keep it on during the braising process to keep the meat juicy. I'm glad you liked it!

Yum! I made this last night. It is a perfect recipe-- great balance of flavors and really easy. Great for weeknight or company. I am determined to use what I have in my stuffed pantry, before buying any more grains, rices, etc. so I served it with a simple, soft polenta. Delicious!

Made this tonight and it was just absolutely wonderful. We just loved it!! And really easy to make. In fact I was able to clean up the whole kitchen while the chicken was braising, which was a bonus and makes this a great dish to make for a dinner party. Thanks, Sonali!! BTW, my husband is an ER doc (recently retired from clinical work) and heard about your blog on the ACEP blog where he is a regular contributor and told me to check your blog out. I recognized you from here at Food52! How fun.

Glad to hear that you liked it! What a coincidence that your husband is an ER doc- my husband and I were just in Las Vegas last week for the ACEP convention. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to keep up with my blog because I recently went back to full-time at the hospital but hopefully I'll start it up again. I read your profile and we have a lot in common- pursuing our passion for cooking a little later in life. Good luck with your cooking classes- they sound fabulous!

We were in LV for ACEP too! My husband was a recipient of an award at the big dinner Thursday night, so although he was there all week, I only flew in for the dinner and left Friday with him. What a great turnout they had! And I hear next year is San Francisco! I look forward to trying more of your recipes and hope you can spend more time on your blog. You have a lot of talent!

I was looking for a good chicken recipe to try for dinner tomorrow. I think I have found it with this one! Luckily, I have a lot of these ingredients in my kitchen cabinet already. The only things I have to buy are the chicken and the lemons. I can't wait to try this recipe.

I made this last night and I loved it. It was worth the effort to get a hold of the preserved lemons. I've never cooked with them before, but I will always have them around the house from now on. Thanks, Sonali, for the amazon.com tip.

This is a delicious and simple dish. It hits all of the requirements for inclusion on the weeknight rotation: Fast, basic ingredients, enjoyed by all of my eaters, and a unique mix of flavors. I must admit to using fresh lemon instead of preserved, which I removed prior to serving. I will add preserved lemons to the pantry for future versions of this recipe. Thank you, Sonali.

This may sound strange but I usually buy them online from Amazon.com because I can rarely find them in my local stores. There are a lot of good recipes online for homemade preserved lemons but you have to have patience because the process take a few weeks!

You can try my recipe - http://www.food52.com/recipes...I make it all the time. worth the effort!Also, I would recommend that if you don't have preserved lemons just cut fresh ones with the peel and just add them in earlier when cooking. If you want to make sure they won't be too bitter, you can poach the slices in boiling water for a few minutes before adding them to the chicken.

Mark Bittman (NYTimes food guy) had a recent recipe for making faux preserved lemons in very little time. I'm going to try that recipe with this one. Also was planning to make his recipe at Thanksgiving as an alternative to cranberry relishes.